The specification of New Zealand Patent #220557/222864 discloses a connector for facilitating the mounting and demounting of a variety of earthmoving implements to a vehicle such as a digger or front-end loader. This connector is useful for speeding up the changing of one implement to another. It comprises a body which is mounted on the digger and is provided with two recesses in which respective pins mounted on the implement are received in the process of mounting the implement in the digger. The first of the recesses is provided with a hydraulically operated closure member which retains the first pin in the first recess. The recesses are oriented at right angles to one another and because of this, as long as the first pin is held in the first recess by the closure member, the implement is locked to the connector.
The present applicant is the proprietor of granted New Zealand Patent #250811 which discloses a connector provided with a closure member which is mounted on a plate which is located in the body. The plate is slidable between a working position in which the closure member holds the first pin captive in the first recess and a second position in which the closure member is withdrawn from the first recess so that the first pin can pass out of the first recess. The connector fixer copses a locking pin arranged, for safety, to be inserted in an aperture in the plate and having tapered faces which engage with the outer end of the aperture and the outer face of an end plate of the body to lock the plate in the working position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector incorporating various modifications including a modified safety lock system.
Further aspect and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description that is given by way of example only.